Many women suffer from a condition known as urinary incontinence, resulting in partial or complete loss of bladder control. The typical non-surgical approach to managing this condition has been for such women to wear an external pad which absorbs and retains any urine lost from the bladder. Depending on the severity of the condition, a small pad or complete absorbent undergarment may be required to accommodate the urine loss.
Although such external absorbent perineal pads are effective at capturing lost urine and are simple to use, they have inherent disadvantages which many women find objectionable. Such pads tend to be bulky and for some uncomfortable to wear, especially when wet. Prolonged contact with such pads can irritate the delicate skin tissues in contact with the pad, causing chaffing, soreness, and general discomfort. Some individuals may develop skin allergies as a result of prolong use of such pads. In severe cases the user may no longer be able to wear such external pads. Other complaints often expressed about external absorbent pads is that they are unable to contain the odor of urine when wet.
The present invention overcomes or greatly minimizes all of the foregoing objections.